DISCOURSE ANALYSIS ON ADVERTISEMENT

Alim Sukrisno
Semarang State University

ABSTRACT
This article is concerned with the analysis of discourse on advertisement. The aim of this discussion is to try
to make sense of an advertisement from the point of view of linguistic construction, meaning, and its
textuality.
Results of the discussion indicate that in order to be called a text the observed advertisement should be
analyzed by means of elliptical operation. As soon as the elliptical clauses and sentences of the
advertisement are established, the meaning or intention of the advertisement can be derived. Unless the
truths of the messages conveyed by the advertisement are clarified, ambiguities will still remain that will
affect the understanding and response of the readers or potential buyers.
As a material for discourse analysis, however, the advertisement is a very interesting thing to be talked
about.

Key words: advertisement, ellyptical, ambiguity

INTRODUCTION

Look at the picture above. It is no doubt a UNNES campus. The most striking thing seen in
photograph showing a number of features, trees, this picture is the presence of a banner of an
a road, vehicles, durian sellers, etc. This advertisement hung above and across the road.
photograph can be readily found when we drive This feature is quite conspicuous, not only
or ride up the hill from Semarang downhill to because it is very colourful, thus in contrast with
LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010 103
other features, but also centrally placed in the The object of this study is a text on an
picture, right in front of passers-by so that it is advertisement about land poperty credit.
indeed eye-catching. Generally, this banner is a
take-for-granted thing for people who happen to Data Collecting Activity
be passing along the road and noticing it. It is an The data are obtained by photographing an
advertisement of a certain product, thing, or advertisement appearing on a banner hung
property. Such a phenomenon can be found across a road leading to UNNES campus.
anywhere else in other parts of the cities or even
countries. However, for people studying Procedure of Data Analysis
language, especially those interested in (1) The data are exposed by copying the words
discourse, this advertisement is not just written on the banner in the photograph;
something. It is a very interesting thing worth (2) They are then analysed by employing
pondering and then analyzing. elliptical operation;
At first notice, the ad is just an ordinary (3) The textuality of the text is tested using de
advertisement promoting a certain kind of Beaugrande and Dressler‟s 7 standard of
goods/property. However, when we try to look at textuality;
it again not from a common viewpoint but from (4) The falicity of the textual meaning is
the aspect of discourse, this ad brings about a examined by means of Gricean maxims; and
number of questions. From the point of view of (5) Existing ambiguity and infelicity is then
discouse analysis, this creates a number of removed.
problems. The questions that might come up in
Significance of the Study
our minds are at least as follows.
(1) How can we categorize the linguistic forms used The result of the investigation will be useful for
in this ad—are they just words, clauses or readers of the research report in that they will
sentences? The answer to this question can lead have a better idea that advertisement, though,
to other questions; looking trivial, produces a wealth of meanings on
(2) Can the stretches of the linguistic forms used in the part of the receivers.
the ad form a communicative text? And
(3) Does this ad convey truthful information? REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Inevitably, though not surface-structurally
There may be some other problems arising
manifest, the issues based on the available data
from the advertisement above, but in this
being put forward in this paper, are very much
discussion I will only focus on trying to answer
related to the notions of discourse, text,
the specified questions above. To answer those
discourse analysis, advertising discourse,
questions, I will draw on several approaches
ellipsis. Therefore, to provide scientific relevance
commonly used in discourse analysis. The role of
to the subsequent discussion pertinent to the
pragmatics in this discussion will also be quite
statements of the problem, the concepts of
apparent.
discourse in general, discourse analysis,
discourse on advertisement and the idea of
METHOD OF THE STUDY
ellipsis and that of text will be highlighted.
Object of the Study

104 LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010
 To begin with, the notion of discourse will be In order to determine that the words in an
briefly talked about. Discourse is defined advertisement are not just words but sentences,
differently by different people. Schiffrin (1994) the concept of ellipsis must be obtained.
offers two definitions of discourse; „a particular Therefore, the notion of ellipsis is worth reviewing
unit of language (above the sentence), and a here. According to Martin (2001), „Ellipsis refers
particular focus on language use‟. The former to resources for omitting a clause, or some part
notion finds support in Stubbs (1983: 1) who of a clause or group, in contexts where it can be
defines discourse as „language above the assumed.‟ In line with this, Downing (internet
sentence or above the clause.‟ From source), claims that ellipsis together with
structuralists‟ view, discourse is regarded „as a presupposition may influence the establishment
level of structure higher than the sentence, or of a conversational tone in advertising discourse
higher than another unit of text‟ (in Schiffrin, by setting up relationship between „characters of
1994: 24). Discourse refers to „‟extended , the fictional world and addressee ........‟
multisentence „texts‟‟‟ (Schegloff, in Schiffrin et After the concepts of discourse, discourse
al., 2001). Meanwhile, in a different manner, analysis, advertising discourse and ellipsis have
Cook (1992) defines discourse as “text and been briefly reviewed, finally, in order that we can
context together, interacting in a way which is relate the data with the discussion of text, the
perceived as meaningful and unified by the concept of what a text is will be presented.
participants (who are both parts of the context Halliday and Hasan define a text as
and observers).” From this, we can define that „language that is functional.‟ (1985: 10).
discourse analysis is an analysis of language use Furthermore, they expand the term in four ways:
beyond sentences (Tannen, Internet Source; text as meaning, text as a semantic unit, text as
Brown and Yule, 1987). product and process, text as a social exchange
In line with the general concept of discourse, of meanings (op cit, 10---11). For a text to be
advertisement is also a type of discourse (Cook, able to meet the requirements of being
1992: 4) which is defined as „text occurring within communicative, it must possess 7 standards of
a specific context‟ (http//74.125 ....). „Context textuality; cohesion, coherence, intentionality,
includes knowledge of elements existing outside acceptability, informaticity, situationality, and
the text‟ (op cit: 4). „The culture in which a certain intertextuality (de Beaugrande and Dressler,
advertisement is created forms part of the 1981). These 7 standards of textuality will later
context‟ (op cit). be used to test whether or not the text presented
Most often, the structural appearance of an in this observation is valid in terms of its
advertisement are words arranged together textuality.
which visually do not seem to form a sentence or
sentences. Appearing this way, in turn, on the DISCUSSION ON THE PROBLEMS
surface, these stretches of words are not Let me firstly try to answer the first questions by
sentences and thus not subject to discourse analysing the linguistic forms seen in the
analysis which has been defined by Tannen as advertisement. Arranged in a different layout, the
an analysis of language use beyond sentences. forms of the ad looks as follows:

LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010 105
 KREDIT KAVLING
DEKAT UNNES & DEKAT AKPER UNGARAN
100 M = 20 JUTA
HUBUNGI (NOMOR-NOMOR INI)

Translated loosely, the English form of the above ad can be seen below:

REAL ESTATE CREDIT

For the sake of clarity, the analysis will sentences or even a single sentence forming a
mostly make use of the original data, in this case unified idea and consisting of several
in bahasa Indonesia, but if necessary, for propositions? Let me try to analyse these NPs
practicality and convenience sake, English one by one.
version will also be used. If either one of above NPs, for example
It goes without saying that given the four “KREDIT KAVLING”, stands alone without being
stretches of linguistic construction above, only followed by any subsequent NPs, it will not mean
one, that is the last stretch, HUBUNGI ... (...), anything from the point of view of propositional
can be considered to be a sentence from the intent. However, together with the rest of the
point of view of grammatical construction or a words they form a unified whole which means
proposition in terms of pragmatics. It has the something to the receivers. Since they are a unity
imperative force of requesting. Whereas the first conveying a certain meaning, each of the
three forms, on the surface structure, look like seemingly linguistically “non-sentences or
words or phrasal nouns (NP). subsentential” (Stainton, 2007) must contribute
If the above stretches of word construction some meaningfullness which in turn can be
should be regarded as a discourse which is interpreted and understood by the receivers.
subject to discourse analysis, they must serve as To be meaningful, “KREDIT KAVLING” must
sentences because discourse analysis is be interpreted as not just two words combined
previously defined as “the analysis of language together; they must be part of a construction
„beyond the sentence‟” (Tannen, internet source) bigger than just words or an NP. However, the
which is supported by Schiffrin (1994), and by interpretation of those subsentential forms varies:
Stubb‟s (1983: 1) who states that “discourse is First, it is a subsentential structure forming a
„language above the sentence or above the clause, for example: “Jika anda menginginkan
clause‟”. The question worth posing is that: kredit kavling”, ... Secondly, it may be a
Should “KREDIT KAVLING”, „DEKAT UNNES & subsentential structure having a capacity of a
DEKAT AKPER UNGARAN” and “100 M = 20 complete sentence, for example: “Mau kredit
JUTA” be treated as merely NPs, or as separate kavling?” It can also be a non-sentence forming a

106 LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010
sentence when it is combined with „DEKAT
UNNES & DEKAT AKPER UNGARAN” and (4) Ellipsis combining the three non-sentential
“100 M = 20 JUTA”. forms
One way of arriving at these particular
Ditawarkan kredit kavling yang
meanings is by making these non-sentence
berlokasi dekat UNNES & dekat Akper
constructions sentential by means of elliptical
Ungaran dengan harga per 100 meter
operation. Therefore, by seeing each of them as
20 juta rupiah.
an elliptical form, we can then offer some
The list of the possible elliptical sentences
possible ellipses. Each of the ellipsis always
which can be offered is by no means exhaustive,
contains the idea of a proposition. The elliptical
for a different reader may construct different
propositional sentences will appear as follows:
elliptical sentences which are equally acceptable
(1) An ellipsis containing “KREDIT KAVLING”
depending on their own perception on those
alone
pieces of non-sentential information.
The ellipsis can be in the form of Similarly, we can offer different elliptical
statement, imperative or a question, such reconstructions of the above non-sentences in
as: the form of a more meaningful unified sentential
a. Ingin mendapatkan „kredit kavling‟? form or text, such as the following:
b. Dapatkan „kredit kavling!‟ No. 1
c. Mau „kredit kavling?‟ Dapatkan „kredit kavling‟ yang terletak „dekat
d. Kami tawarkan „kredit kavling.‟ UNNES dan dekat Akper Ungaran‟ dengan
e. Etc. harga „20 juta (rupiah) per 100 meter (persegi)‟.
„Hubungi ..........‟
(2) An ellipsis containing “DEKAT UNNES &
DEKAT AKPER UNGARAN” alone No. 2
a. Lokasinya „dekat UNNES & dekat Ingin „kredit kavling‟? Lokasinya di „dekat
Akper Ungaran.‟ UNNES dan Akper Ungaran‟. Harga per 100
b. Yang terletak „dekat UNNES & meter 20 juta (rupiah). Jika tertarik, hubungi
dekat Akper Ungaran.‟ .........
c. Etc.
No. 3
(3) An ellipsis containing “100 M = 20 JUTA” Silakan „kredit kavling‟ yang letaknya tidak
alone jauh dari UNNES dan Akper Ungaran. Harga
a. Harga per 100 m 20 juta (rupiah). per 100 meter 20 juta (rupiah). Segera „hubungi
b. Setiap 100 m dihargai 20 juta nomor-nomor ini!‟
(rupiah).
Though the above construction It is possible for a receiver to recover the
introduces a mathematical equation indicated by message of the advertisement above as (1), (2),
the mark (=), the English ellipsis will possibly (3) or even any other equally acceptable
appear “The price per 100 meters is 20 million interpretations. The important thing is that
(rupiahs). whatever interpretation is formed in the reader‟s

LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010 107
mind, the seemingly non-sentential constructions potential buyers. These two concepts are related
are in fact sentential and together they create a to each other. The relationship of the two
text conveying a certain message to the receiver. concepts can be easily accessed or understood
Based on the analysis above, it can be in the words elliptically arranged in the text.
concluded that each of the non-sentences Viewed from the notion of intentionality, the
appearing in the advertisement above is above text meets the criterion of being
categorised as at least an elliptical clause or intentional. This is due to the fact that through
elliptical sentence which operates together to words cohesively and coherently arranged in the
serve as a possible text. Therefore, the first text the goal of the producer to sell land
problem of this paper is solved. properties can be seen and understood clearly by
readers/receivers. The plan to obtain the goal is
Since the non-sentential linguistic forms used by providing necessary information that would
by the ad demonstrate elliptical sentences likely help interested readers/receivers to do
functioning as a possible text, another thing further action in the forms of cohesive and
worth analysing is whether they are qualified as coherent words.
communicative text. In order to prove the In consonance with the fourth standard of
communicativeness of the above text, we have to textuality: acceptability, the text is acceptable
refer to de Beuaugrande and Dressler (1981). from the point of view of the receiver because the
According to them, there are „seven standards of producer has built and presented information
textuallty‟ for a piece of language use to qualify which enables the receiver to acquire knowledge
itself as communicative information. These 7 about how to obtain pieces of land on credit.
standards of textuality are listed by de The fifth standard of textuality is informaticity
Beaugrande and Dressler as follows: cohesion, which is, according to Beaugrande and Dressler
coherence, intentionality, acceptability, (1981: 8), „concerned with the extent to which the
informaticity, situationality, and intertextuality. occurrences of the presented text are expected
Whether the language use found in the text vs. unexpected of known vs. unknown/certain.‟
above meets these required standards of Viewed from this notion, the first elliptical
textuality will be the object of the next analysis. sentence „Kredit Kavling‟ is unknown/new from
In terms of cohesion, the ad above is the point of view of the receivers since it is just
cohesive because the actual words are mutually presented at the beginning of the text. The
arranged in a sequential order showing the second and the rest of the elliptical sentences
logical connectedness from one set of words with are to a greater extent quite expected because
another. This cohesiveness can be clearly seen without that information the text will be
after the sets of words are reconstructed using completely uninformative. It is very much
elliptical method. expected that the offer of „kredit kavling‟ will be
Seen from coherence, this text presents the followed by the presence of relevant information
mutual accessibility and relevance of the textual about the credit, such as location, price, and the
world. This can be proved from the relation of the procedure of being able to make a deal with the
concept of selling a property with the support of producer of the advertisement.
its location, prices, and a way of obtaining further Situationality is the sixth standard of
information and the concept of the presence of textuality which refers to factors making „a text
108 LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010
RELEVANT to a SITUATION of occurrence.‟ The text Grice‟s maxim and Clark and Wege‟s (2001)
shows the feature of siuationality with the „Imagination in Discourse‟.
following reasons. It is displayed at a strategic This elliptical construction: „Dekat UNNES
place where a lot of people passing by can dan dekat Akper Ungaran‟ (Close to UNNES
readily see and automatically read it. It contains and Ungaran Nursing Academy/UNA) is quite
information about one of the basic needs (land to problematic for potential buyers in a number of
set up settlement) for human beings (in this case, ways.
readers/receivers of the text), so some readers
may be interested in and finally make a deal. a. Reading this sentence (elliptical), one can
Social demand prevalent in the Indonesian get confused for two reasons. On the one hand,
society which requires someone to have a one can interpret that there is only a plot of land
permanent dwelling instead of just rented one for sale on credit situated in between UNNES
serves as another relevant factor. Therefore, and UNA. On the other, one can also arrive at an
considering the above factors, the text definitely interpretation that there are more than one piece
meets the notion of textuality. of land to sell. The plots of land may be located
Talking about intertextuality, of course, the at two different places: some are close to
above text fulfills the last standard of textuality. UNNES and others close to UNA or another
The argument is that texts of similar type can possibility; all pieces of land offered are located
also be seen in different parts of the city. As a between UNNES and UNA. This problem seems
result, in order to understand the text, the to be difficult to solve since in bahasa Indonesia,
receivers can rely on the knowledge they have for the previous elliptical sentence: „Kredit
previously seen in other similar texts. Kavling‟, suffers a lack of plural marker.
After briefly analyzing the text from the However, some of the ambiguities can be easily
aspect of its textuality, it can be summarized that removed if this sentence is written in English, for
the stretches of language use conform with the the plurarity is obviously demonstrated. So, in
standards of being a communicative text, though English, the sentence can loosely be translated:
some problems of felicity are still present. „Plots of land are available on credit.‟ The second
ambiguity remains problematic. Whether the
The third issue concerning the advertisement pieces of land being sold on a installment basis
text I would like to address is the question are located at separate places or at one place, is
whether or not the text conveys truthful difficult to be deambiguated; only the
information to the reader/receivers or potential advertisement maker knows. Normally, however,
buyers. Among the four elliptical sentences the pieces of land for sale are situated in one
forming the text above, in my opinion, the most location.
problematic one is the second elliptical sentence:
DEKAT UNNES DAN DEKAT AKPER b. When we read the second elliptical
UNGARAN. The truthfulness of this information sentence: „Close to UNNES and close to UNA‟,
will later influence the next ellipsis: 100 M = 20 another problem arises. The problem is triggered
JUTA. with the use of „dekat/close to‟.
In order to find out the real intention of the According to Clark and Wege (in Schiffrin et
second ellipsis, we have got to draw on the al., 2001), „Taking part in discouse often
LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010 109
demands a vivid imagination‟. This is in line with „dekat‟ or „near/close to‟ does not fulfil the maxim
Bradford et al. (1972) who claim that under their of manner: avoid obscurity and ambiguity. It is
investigation „People appear to create visual or obscure because the word „near/close to‟
spacial representations as they understand many produces obscuriry in the readers‟ imagination in
utterances.‟ Referring to this, when reading the their attempt to locate the place. The word „near‟
advertisement, given the discription of a location, is an approximant. To eliminate the obscurity, the
a hearer or in this case a reader will use his maker should replace it with a more definite
imagination as to where the place is. The lexical measurement (quantifier), for example: 500 m
choice of „close to‟ or „near‟ is quite relative. The from UNNES and 1 kilometer from UNA. If this is
relativity of the meaning of these words bring done, the obscurity will be removed.
about difficulty in determining the location of the The second elliptical sentence also violates
place being offered in the ad. In my imagination the maxim of quantity: „Do not make your
in trying to locate the place, I would raise a contribution more informative than required.‟ The
number questions: (1) how near is the location of addition to „close to UNA‟ from „close to UNNES‟
the land for sale from UNNES, (2) how near is it is more than necessary. „Close to UNNES‟ will be
from UNA?, (3) Are the land properties equally quite informative since UNNES is widely known.
near UNNES and UNA? Still another question Almost everybody knows where UNNES is,
comes up: How far (many meters or kilometer) is whereas the notion of „close to UNA‟ has the
UNNES from UNA? These spacial questions are effect of cheating the readers. The majority of
salient things that lead our imagination in people passing along under the advertisement
determining the location of the offered land. banner including myself do not know where UNA
In turn, location of a place, especially land for is or even worse this campus does not exist at
sale, is an essential thing in someone‟s all. Therefore, the second elliptical sentence, to
interestedness in the land which may lead him to some extent, violates the maxim of quantity. The
buy it. Location of a place involves various problem will be erased if the words „close to
conditions; among others easy access to the UNA‟ is dropped.
main road, closeness to an already existing If the problems faced by this second elliptical
place, spot, or building, such as railway/bus sentence is removed, the third elliptical sentence:
station, market, or university which contribute to „100 M = 20 JUTA‟ will be relevant, because the
the stategicness of the the location (land). In the price of the offered pieces of land can be
case of the ad above, if the place described appreciated whether it is reasonable or too
matches with the spacial imagination of the expensive. As a consequence, the text as a
reader, the ad presents not only important but whole will be quite informative, communicative
also effective information in attracting potential and effective in persuading the readers to be
buyers. potential buyers.
Of course, the hope of interested readers is
that the information they read is truthful. Viewed CONCLUSION
from Gricean (in Mey, 1993) maxims, the second From the discussion above, the answers to the
elliptical sentence, „Close to UNNES and close to questions put forward at the beginning of this
UNA‟, seems quite problematic in at least two paper which serve as the conclusions can be
ways. First, in my opinion, the use of the lexis presented. First, the sequences NP in the
110 LANGUAGE CIRCLE Journal of Language and Literature IV/2 April 2010
advertisement banner are elliptical sentences.
Second, these elliptical sentences function as a Halliday, M.A.K. and Hasan, R. 1985. Language,
text. Third, when the ambiguities of the text can Context, and Text: Aspects of language in a
Social-Semiotic Perspective. Burwood,
be sorted out and removed, the text will be
Victoria: Deakin University Press.
truthful and communicative.
Horn, L. R. and Ward, G. 2006. The Handbook
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